Call circuit recorder



June 26, 1934. A. A. CLOKEY 1,964,031

CALHYCIRCUIT RECORDER Filed Aug. 14, 1930 m 9 I 8 LI- I FIG.

FIG. 2

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INVENTOR ALLISON A. CLOKEY i atenteol June 26, 1934- CALL ClHElJlUlI'llRIEGQRDER Application August 14, 1930, Serial No. 475,322

3 Claims.

This invention relates to recorder mechanisms for call-box circuits suchas messenger call systems, fire alarms, watchmans station recorders andthe like. It has particular reference to the 5 tape feed mechanism andthe marking platen for [5 stop the clockwork after a set periodfollowing the last impulse received by the printing magnets.

An object of this invention is to provide a recorder mechanism ofsimpler type and therefore cheaper to manufacture. A further object isto 59 make the recorder self-winding, thus avoiding the necessity of thecareful supervision heretofore required.

In carrying out this invention a magnet is provided which not onlyactuates the marking platen,

75 but also tensions a driving spring so that when released the tapefeed mechanism may be driven by a ratchet and pawl while suitably timedby a governor in such a manner as to run the recorder for a slightlygreater length of time than is required for the slowest call-box on theline to transmit its signals.

An important feature of the invention is a resilient connection in thegear train between the paper feed roller and the governor whereby thepaper feed roller is allowed to start sooner, when released than wouldotherwise be possible, due to the inertia of the governor. Anotherfeature of this invention is the use of a lost motion connection betweenthe paper feed roller and the gover- 3 nor whereby the paper feed rolleris allowed to start before motion is transmitted to the governor.

A more clear conception of the construction, operation and furtherobjects of the invention may be had from the following specificationtaken 5 in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 discloses an isometric view of the device. Fig. 2 shows a sectionof tape as printed by the invention.

9 Fig. 3 discloses a section of tape as now printed.

The magnet 1 is mounted on the support 34 which forms part of theframework of the recorder. The armature 2 is provided with a plunger 23which presses against the lever 8 in opposition to the tension of aspring 22. The pawl 24 is pivoted at on the lever 8 and is held by aspring 26 against the ratchet wheel 9. Lever 8 rotates freely on theshaft 27. The ratchet wheel 9 and the gear 10 are both secured to theshaft 27.

The gear 10 meshes with a pinion 11 which is secured to the shaft 14.Rigidly mounted on this shaft also is the tape feed roll 12, a ratchetwheel 13 and a collar 17. Thus, the tape is pushed or fed from feed roll12 past ink roller 7. An example of this push type of tape feed rollwhich is in common use today is clearly disclosed in Pat-- ent No.1,196,335 issued to applicant on August 29, 1916. Feed roll 12corresponds to feed wheel 19, shown in Fig. 4 of this patent. Looselymounted on the shaft 14 by means of a collar 17, as shown by the dottedlines of the figure, is a gear wheel 16 to which motion is impartedthrough a spiral spring 15, one end of which is secured to ratchet wheel13 and the other end engages the hole 36 in gear 16.

On the collar 1'7 is a pin 28 which extends into a hole 29in gear 16.The diameter of this hole is considerably greater than that of the pin28,

so that a limited rotary motion may be imparted to the feed roll 12before the gear 16 and its associated governor gear-train is required tomove.

The pawl 30 acting against the ratchet wheel 13 prevents any back-lashof the feed roll when the lever 8 is being set by the magnet 1.

The gear train 16, 18, 19 and 20 is clearly indicated in the drawing andits function is to spin the fan blade 21 at a suitable velocity toprevent a jerky movement of the tape feed roll.

The printing member 5 is adapted to strike the underside of the recordtape 6 with a sudden blow to press it against the ink roll 7 and'causean impression to be made on the upper side of the tape. This motion iscommunicated to the printing member 5 by the release of the arm 3 justas the armature 2 is about to complete its stroke. The arm 3 has a tooth31 which engages with the latch arm 4 which releases arm 3 when pushedback by the armature 2.

The arm 3 when released is actuated by the spring 32 and drives theprinting member 5 against the tape. On release of the armature 2 by themagnet 1, the arm 3 is restored to its latched position against thetension of the spring 32. The spring 33 connected between the arm 3 andthe latch member 4 acts to hold the latter in proper position at alltimes.

The trigger like action of the parts 4 and 31 causes the printing memberto print uniform recordations independent of the duration of the signal.

The printing member 5 is so formed that it strikes the tape 6 at rightangles to its path of travel, thereby causing the ink roller '7 to printa signal similar to 37in Fig. 2 instead of the usual type of signal as38 in Fig. 3. It is obvious that a recordation of signals like those inFig. 2 will eiTect a considerable saving in tape as well as form a morelegible recordation.

During the printing operation the feed wheel 12 is stationary, due tothe fact that when magnet 1 operates to effect the printing, the spring22 is being tensioned by arm 8 and the pawl 24 is moving over ratchet 9and not driving the gear train 10 and 11 to which feed wheel 12 isconnected because of the locking action of ratchet 13 and pawl 30. Withthe tape stationary during the printing action, the signals are clearlyrecorded and there is no possibility of the recordations being blurredorrun together.

The operation of the invention may be reviewed as follows:

Each energization of the magnet 1 operates the armature 2, releases thelatch 4 from engagement with the tooth 31 of the arm 3, and causes theprinting member 5 to strike the tape 6. At the same time, the lever 8 isswung in the direction which elongates the spring 22. Upon the releaseof the magnet 1 the spring 22 acts as a motor to drive the gear traincomprising gears 10, 11, 16, 18, 19 and 20 and to rotate both the tapefeed roll 12'and the fan blade 21.

The feed roll 12 is permitted, however, to begin its movement before theinertia of the fan blade is overcome, due to the flexible connection ofthe' spiral spring 15 between the ratchet wheel 13 and the gear 16 anddue further to the allowable play of the pin 28 in the hole 29.

In practice, the movement of the tape by the feed roll 12 becomes almostcontinuous during the reception of marking impulses as communicated bythe magnet to the printing member 5. The lever 8 does not havesufiicient time to make a full stroke between the impulses of a singledigit in the code signal, but its stroke is longer during the pausesbetween digits and the full stroke carries the paper along for adistance such as to clearly separate the signals of different calls. Theimpressions on the paper, therefore, are properly spaced in accordancewith the time component of the impulses themselves, which makes fordesired legibility.

What is claimed is:

1. In a recording mechanism, the combination of a tape feed roller withactuating means, a governor with actuating means, said governor beingresiliently connected to said roller to overcome the starting inertiathereof.

2. In a recording mechanism, a tape feed roller 100 operable by a springactuated gear train, and a fan blade resiliently driven by said geartrain for regulating the inertia thereof.

3. In a recording mechanism, the combination of a gear train, a tapeieed roller actuated there- 195 by, a second gear train, a governoractuated thereby and a lost motion connection between said trains topermit said roller to start prior to overcoming the inertia of saidgovernor.

ALLISON A. CLOKEY.

